


Unknowable

by HalfASlug



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 15:36:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6430312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalfASlug/pseuds/HalfASlug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Ultimately, we’re all alone,” he tells her and some days she silently agrees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unknowable

“People are unknowable,” he tells her.

“Ultimately, we’re all alone,” he tells her and some days she silently agrees.

Over the months since her perfect life was pulled out from underneath her, Ellie knows she’s built a barricade around herself and her sons. Some of her guilt is dedicated to how she didn’t protect them and how she will give her life to make sure they are never hurt like this again.

Therapy helps her break it all down into easier to manage sections. There’s enough to go around after all.

From behind these walls, she doesn’t notice Alec Hardy’s attempts to reach her. Eventually she peers over to top and notices he’s been patrolling the perimeter. It stops her feeling quite as isolated, but the desire to let him in scares her.

She does though. It seems to scare him as well.

Slowly, she lowers the barrier. Parts are carefully dismantled by her testing the structural integrity of the thing. Others are smashed apart, her rage and pain proving too strong for their flimsy cage.

The pieces of her she swore she would never risk showing to another human being are gradually revealed to him. She whispers secrets into his clavicle, yells regrets across his office and breathes dreams into his ear. 

Her cards are on the table next to his and only then does she realise that everything works better when the entire pack is together.

It’s difficult and every day she has to work at it, until one day it’s the easiest thing in world. Trusting someone. Being loved. 

People might be unknowable, but Ellie doesn’t mind so much anymore. There’s enough trust in her again to extend to others so the blank spaces don’t look like potential threats.

“We might all be alone,” she tells him.

“It doesn’t mean we have to be lonely,” she tells him and the way he kisses her lets her know that today he agrees.


End file.
